1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope and in particular to an apparatus for the color adjustment of a color printer and a color monitor connected to the endoscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscopes are used widely in the field of medicine, especially for the observation and the inspection of the inside of an organ. Such endoscopes consist of a color scope, a color processing unit, a color printer, and a color monitor. The color scope images a subject and is controlled by the color processing unit. The electric signals obtained during the imaging process are converted to image signals by the processing unit and are then output to the color printer and the color monitor. The converted image signals are analogue signals and are supplied to the color printer and the color monitor. The supplied image signals can be converted to a hard copy, in other words printed out by the color printer, and kept as a soft copy, in other words stored in a memory and indicated on a color monitor.
The endoscope is used for the observation and the inspection of the inside of an organ. Accordingly, it is desirable that the color tone of the output images which are imaged by an endoscope, resemble as much as possible the real color of the photographic subject. It is desirable that the color tone of the output image by the color printer resemble the color tone of the output image by the color monitor.
Each component of an endoscope has a color reappearance range or a color imaging range which differs. A color adjustment method which takes into consideration the color range of each component is needed.
Japanese unexamined patent publication (KOKAI) No. 08-152566 discloses a method for the color adjustment of a color scope, a color processing unit, and a color monitor, by using a color chart. This invention discloses a method for the color adjustment of the color scope which is an imaging apparatus, and the color monitor which is an output apparatus.
However, the above disclosed method does not disclose a method for the color adjustment of the color printer and the color monitor which are output devices.